Baby dead, 23 people missing after hippo hits boat in Malawi

Police managed to pull 13 people out of the Shire River after their canoe capsized, and a desperate search is under way for the remaining passengers

Boat accidents are common in Malawi, where the lack of regular water transport forces many to cross lakes and rivers in sometimes rickety vessels

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Hippos are seen in Malawi’s Liwonde National Park. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:09am, 17 May 2023

A baby died and 23 people are missing after a hippopotamus hit a boat travelling on Malawi’s Shire River, authorities said on Tuesday.

Police in the southern African country’s southern district of Nsanje said the vessel, a canoe, was carrying 37 people across the waterway when the incident took place on Monday morning.

Nsanje police spokeswoman Agnes Zalakoma said locals managed to pull 13 people from the treacherous waters, while another 23 were still missing on Tuesday.

Rescuers also retrieved the lifeless body of a one-year-old who had drowned in the collision, she said.

Malawi’s Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia (left) waits with local Member of Parliament Gladys Ganda, for updates from the rescue party on the banks of Shire River on Tuesday. Photo: AP

The mission to locate the missing individuals was under way, Zalakoma said, but they were feared dead because the search had been going on for more than 24 hours.

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